Game apparatus



W. G. HAWLEY.

GAME APPARATUS March 1, 1938.

Filed Jan. 21, 1956 2 Sheets-Shea?I SWBY TTDRNEY w G. HAWLEY 2,109,638

March l, 1938.l

GAME APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 2l, 1956 TTURNET PatentedMar. l, 19382- UNITiED .STATES ear-e Nr vefr-Fiee 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements l`in a game apparatus andpertains moreparticularly to a Vportable or-miniature bowling gameadapted to be used in the home, `.the club :and variousplaces 'ofamusement.

An object of'the invention is itoprovide a game of .the above mentionedclass with an improved mechanical means *for :actuating or 'propelling amissile constituting a portion of the apparatus.

.Another lobject ofthe invention is to provide novel means for bringingthe missile into operative relation with the actuating or propellingmeans.

VIn certain bowling games ofthe above men- :tioned class, a mechanicalmeans 'has been provided whereby the knocked down `bowling pins may bereset'by a person-as the player, positioned at a distance fromthebowling pins. 'Such mechanical reset devices -have usually employedflexible cords or strings secured to the bowling pins and passed'throughapertures in the alley bed in such a manner that when a downward pull iseX- erted on the cords, the bowling pins will be drawn to .theiroperative playing position. Such devices, insofar as I am aware, havebeen imprac- 'tical for the reason that the cords or strings oftenbecome wound around or entangled with each other as the pins are knockedover to such an extent that the reset apparatus will not effect thesetting up of the p-ins without the necessity of rst untangling thecords by manual manipulation of the pins. This inability to separate thecords 'from each other by use of the reset mechanism alone has beenprimarily dueto the relatively broad, nat construction of the bottom orbase ends of the pins which, when tension is applied to 'the strings orcords attached to the pins, are brought into abutting relation with eachother and thereby prevent the pins from swinging past each other so asto fpermit the strings orfcords to untangle.

A further object of the invention resides in providing a bowling alleywith improved mechanical means for setting up the bowling pins which may`be-oontrolled by the player of the game in a simple land efficientmanner from the bowling position.

Other-objects and advantages pertaining to the structure 'of the deviceand to the form and relation of the parts thereof will more fully appearfrom the following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Figure l is a top Aplan view of a game embodying `my invention andillustrating intermediate portions thereof broken away.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view 'partly in elevation takensubstantially in the plane ofithe 'line 2 2, Figure `1. l

wFigure 3 -is a transverse sectional view taken -on lined-3, -Figure iif5 Figure 4 is a detail vertical sectional View of the forward endportion of the game board or table taken lin the plane of the lined-4,Figure v3i Figure v5 is a vertical central'sectio'nal view-'of a bowlingpin comprising a portion of the-apparatus l0 and a portion ofthe'bowling alleybed taken on line 5 5; Figure l. A

'Figure 6 is a -fragmentary side rel-evationof'the bottom `or lower endportions vofeia Apair 'of 'my novel bovyling pins illustrating the-'manner in 35 which they function to .permit the operating-.cordstherefor to be readily l-disentangled -during the loperation of my novelsetting-up apparatus.

The device as illustrated in Vthe-drawingsi iconiprises a portable gameboard `or table I yoi the o rectangular shape-of. a bowling alley andwhich is supported upon suitable legs l2 reinforced by braces 3. Theboard or ta'ble f! comprises :a l10ngitudinally extending centrallylocated alley bed .5 and side gutters 6 which are inclined fromopdvposite endsof the boardortable l downwardly to a positionfa relativelyshortdistance from the 'for- `ward end of the table, as illustrated inFigure 2 where 'eachgutter is provided with a Vertical aperture 6 in`communication with .a runway 'l arranged at -the forward end of thetable ibeneath the alley bed 5. The runway 1, as shown in Figure '1, isprovid-ed with atapered :portion 'l'V communicating with the gutterYapertures 6 anda relatively narrow channel portion Tl" which ex- 35tends forwardly from the tapered portion l to `the Vforward end of theVtable l! Sin a plane substantially midway `between the sidesrof theAalley bed The bottom or floor 8 of the runway 1 is inclined downwardlyfrom the lrear end thereof to the forward end of the tabl-e for guidingthe missile, as a bowling ball 9, `fromlthegutter a-pertures i5 to `theforward end of the table.

A carriage l0, positioned at the forward end offthe ytable 1, isslidably mounted upon a :pair of .45 angle guide bars H arrangedin'vertical parallel spaced relation transversely of .the table .andwhich have the ends thereof secured in :any suitable manner tocorresponding end brackets .l2 secured to the end of the table I, oneAat either side thereof. lThe carriage -'U is of less width than thedistance between 'the brackets ill-'2 'so-fas to permit a predeterminedamount of movement of the carriage laterally of the table. The car-Plage l-B is provided lwith a centralbpening lf3 which extendstransversely therethrough for the reception of a projector I4.

The projector I4 comprises a tubular case i5 of less diameter than theopening I3 and which extends beyond opposite sides of the carriage Iii.The inner end of the case I5 terminates over the alley bed 5 and issecured to a pivotal spindle I5 which extends upwardly therefrom throughaligned apertures provided in a U-shaped bracket I| secured to the upperportion of the carriage I0. The opposite end of the case I5 is providedwith a cap I8 which may be removably secured in any suitable manner asby one or more set screws I9 to the case i5 to prevent relative axialand rotary movement of the case and cap. The interior of the tubularcase i5 is of sufficient diameter to readily receive the missile 9itherein and has mounted therein a plunger 2D having a plunger rod 2|mounted for axial and rotary movement in a guide sleeve 22 xedly securedin any suitable manner as by spot welding, soldering or the like, to thecap IB and which projects some distance from the cap i3 into the caseI5. The rod 2| extends outwardly beyond the cap i8 an-d sleeve 22 andhas -secured thereto in any suitable manner a finger knob 24 by whichthe plunger may be manually operated.

A coil spring 25 is mounted upon the plunger rod 2| and guide sleeve 22intermediate the plunger 2B and cap I8 for actuating the plunger axiallyin one direction. This spring has one end thereof secured to the plunger2| and the other Aend secured to the cap i8 in the manner illus- 4tratedin Figure 4 for yieldingly maintaining the plunger against rotarymovement. That is, the spring 25 functions to yieldingly maintain theplunger against rotation relative to the housing I5, and if the plungeris thus rotated as by hand against the action of the spring, the springwill return the plunger to its initial position by rotating the sameupon the plunger being released in the reverse direction to thatproduced by hand irrespective of the direction in which the plunger wasinitially rotated. The plunger rod 2| is provided with a pin 25 whichextends outwardly from one side of the rod into an elongated slot 22formed in one side of the guide sleeve 22 intermediate the ends thereofas shown in Figures 3 and 4 for limiting the rotary movement of the rodand the plunger 2S, The inner end of the plunger 20 is recessed and hassecured in said recess an end tip 29 composed preferably of rubber orother resilient material. The exposed end of the tip 29 is slightlyconcave as at- 29 to correspond to the curvature of the peripheralsurface of the ball 9 for frictionally engaging said surface for thepurpose of transmitting any rotary movement of the plunger produced bythe spring 25 to the missile or ball 9 during the projection of the ballfor a purpose presently described.

At the forward end of the table I is provided a vertically disposedcylindrical opening 3) of slightly greater diameter than the ball 9 andwhich extends downwardly from the upper surface of the alley bed 5 tosome distance below the table I as illustrated in Figures 2 and 4. Thisopening 3Q is arranged in substantially co axial alignment with thepivotal spindle l when the carriage if! is in its normal position and isin communication with the forward end of the channel portion i of therunway 1. In the opening 35 is slidably mounted a lifting or feedingplunger 3| which is of sufficient length to extend from the upper faceof the bed 5 downwardly to a position beneath the channel l" and hassecured to the lower end portion thereof a pair of pins 32 spacedaxially of the plunger 3| and which extend laterally from the plungerthrough an elongated slot 33 provided in the side wall 34 of the opening36 as shown in Figures 2 and 4.

The pins 32 project some distance beyond the wall 34 and receivetherebetween an actuating spring 35.

The spring 35, in this instance is a fiat bar shaped member arrangedbeneath the table I and has the inner end thereof secured to a block 36secrued to the lower face of the alley bed 5 some distance from theforward end of the table I as shown in Figure 2. The forward end of thespring extends a short distance beyond the pins 32 and end of the tableI in convenient position to be engaged by the player for moving theplunger 3| downwardly against the action of said spring to align theupper end of the plunger with the bottom 8 of the channel 1" to permitthe missile or ball 9 to roll upon the upper end of the plunger so thatas said plunger is returned to its normal uppermost position, themissile or ball will be elevated thereby into operative alignment withthe alley bed 5 and projector I4.

The alley bed 5 is designed to be maintained in substantially a level orhorizontal position while the case I5 of the projector I4 is mounted onthe carriage I in slightly inclined relation to the upper surface of thebed 5 as illustrated in Figure 4. The forward end portion of the case I5has the lower side wall thereof cut away as at 31 to receive the ball 9carried by the plunger 3| into the interior thereof. While the plunger2i) is so mounted in the housing I5 that the tip 29 will be maintainedin slightly outward spaced relation to the plane of movement of theplunger 3| so that as the ball or missile 9 is elevated by the plunger3| into alignment with the bed 5, said ball or missile may roll intocontact with the tip 29. This movement of the ball toward the plunger iseffected by the upper end 3| of the plunger 3i which is slightlyinclined relative to the horizontal so as to provide a smooth,substantially continuous surface over the opening 38 from the interiorof the case I5 to the upper surface of the alley bed 5 when the plunger3| is in its normal uppermost position. Furthermore, the inclined end 3|of the plunger assists in maintaining the ball 9 in engagement with theplunger during the elevation of the ball due to the fact that the ballis caused to roll thereby into contact with the front wall 39 of theopening 36 and maintained in such position until the plunger is returnedto its normal position.

It will now be observed that when the spindle i6 is in co-axialalignment with the plunger 3|, the ball or missile 9 will always bebrought by said plunger to a position within the case I5 irrespective ofany angular position the case I5 may assume about the spindle I5 as apivot. In order to normally maintain the spindle |6 in co-axialalignment with the plunger 3|, I have provided a spring member 4G which,like the spring member 35, is a substantially flat bar member and isarranged edgewise beneath the game board The spring 40 is secured at itsinner end as at 42 to one side of the game board while the outer end ofthe spring extends beneath the guide bars iI and rides in a slot 42provided in a pendant arm 43 secured at its upper end to the carriageiii. The relation of the arm 43 and spring 42 is such that when thespring is in its normal position, the carriage l0 will be maintainedsub,

i .portion 6' .ebore 45 :for

:extending uthrough 'the apertures zare constructed similar :tothe:conventional bowl- Aing pin .but on .a reduced scale with `the.exceprtion ithat 'fthe vpins .are .each provided with atapered -orconical extension v'4.5' at the baseend 'thereof arranged co-,axia'lly:with the .pin and fa y:central bore 46 extending from 'the-:upper `Lendfof the pin .downwardly through `said extension. Each of the :extensions45 has the base V,portion thereof of less diameter than the adjacentfend .of :the vpin ias illustrated .in Figures .5 .fand '6.so that `:thepin :is `:provided with aat surface surrounding the projection of amplesize .to support :the '.-pin :in the upright playing position in aimanner which will tbe presently described.

.The lower end :portion as 4.6 of `the :bore .is

lsmaller in diameter than' the .remaining :portion thereof ffor .thereception :of a cord kL1 which has the upperlend thereof provided withan enlarged portion or knot d3 adapted to engage lthe shoulder :formed'between `the aupper endof .the reduced .and the remaining portion rofthe limiting the downward movement `of .the cord through the pin.

The pinsare mounted .upon a positioning plate '4B which, in thisinstance, is triangular in plan `view and vis set into :a recess formedin the upper surface of the alley Abed 5 .in spaced rrelation l.to

tthe rear end thereofso that the upper surface 4of the vplate is :HushVwith the upper surface of the alley hed. The plate 49 is provided witha plurality of,in this instance ten, orices 50, one for each pin, ofsubstantially 'the same .diameter as the base'portion of the.pinprojections 4'5" for receiving said projections. Ihe orices 59 are.arranged in accordance with the desired arrangement of the pins whenthey are set inthe operative or playing position upon .the alley bed andeach orifice is in registration with a corresponding aperture 5' in thealley bed-5. VThe cords `ll'l 5 a'lso pass formed kin a the alley `bedthrough corresponding orifices -5.I reset plate `52 positioned beneathand which are lin alignment with corresponding orices 5B in the plate4'9. The lower ends of the cords 4l each have mounted thereon a coilspring 53 adapted to be lengaged by the reset plate 52 for yieldinglyconnecting said plate with the cords.

The plate 52 is of suflicient weight to readily -actuate all the pins45, and in this instance vis a Vtriangular .member similar to the plate49 Iand Ahas secured at each apex thereofa cable v54 which extendsupwardly over a corresponding sheave or `pulley 55 secured in anysuitable manner to the undersurface of the alley bed i5. From thesheaves 55 the cables extend forwardly vand are connected at `their endsas at -56 to a common cable 51 which extends over a sheave15'8 alsosecured `to vthe under side of the bed `5 `and. has the vforward endthereof secured Vto an actuating member 59 which, in this instance is aweight `that preponderates the reset plate 52 vfor normally maintainingthe .reset plate in its upper-` most position out of engagement with'the springs .53. The actuating member 59 Iis also connected with asecond cable 60 which extends upwardly therefrom voverasheave 6| securedto the game board I and thence forwardly through an openin T provided ina guide block 62 secured to the adjacent side member of the table l.'I'he forward end of the cable 60 has secured thereto av .bars `l l.against .the

Adue to the 'inclination of leased, .the :plunger lplunger "taining aneffect similar to finger lknob ft3by which the cable may be manually`pulled forwardly for elevating the weight .59. The length .ofthe cableB is such that when the knob 63 is in engagement Vwith the `guide block62, the weight will be maintained in such fa position that the plate 52connected therewith will be maintained :in its normal uppermostposition.

It 'will now "be observed from the foregoing descrip-tion that rthemissile or ball '9 lmay be actuated in much thersame `manner as on thelarge, regulation size Vbowling alley. 'Ihis is primarily .due to the:universal positioning of the projector V:i4 which may be obtained. AForinstance, the projector may be lswung about the axis of the spindleIlSfto obtain any desired angular relation thereof vto the bowling.alley bed andthe pins '45 .mounted thereon. ,'Furthermore, thevprojector may be .moved laterally of the alley fbed 5 by sliding 'thecarriage other `from the normal position along 'the guide action ofthespring 42. As soon, however, as the carriage |.0 is Areleased `by theoperator the spring 42 ywill function to return the :carriage and,therefore, the projector l'I-ll, to# I the normal positionrina .planesubstantially midway between 'the sides of .the bowling alleyrbed 5 withthe A'spindle l5 in co-axial alignment with the plunger 3l.

.After :a ball 9 has been propelled bythe proi2 jector plunger 29,another ball may be brought into operative relation with -the projectorby the operator simply ypressing :downwardly upon-.the forward or Yfreerend of the spring 35 until the upper end 3| the lupper 'surface of :thebottom 8 whereuponfthe ball :9 iwill .roll @upc-n the upper end vof the:plunger the bottom 8 .andfend :31' As the spring 35 is thenfreof .theplunger.

.the spring until 4.the -uppermost pin 3.2 'engages .the-wall attireupper end of'thefslot3'3 whereupon :the upper rend 3fl of the `plungerwill align .the upper surface of the )bed 5 andthe Vball .will

be maintained fin operative .alignment with the.:

plunger '25). As the A.plunger 29 is moved axially outwardly by theoperator against the action :of .the spring T25, Ythe spring maybe .alsotensioned circumferentially `by the operator .rotating Atheiplunger'through the medium ofthe fingerknob-ld;

Iin one direction or'the other. that when the .spring :35 has that 'asthe plunger is released, the spring will produce a corresponding rotarymovement `of the which will Ibe .transmitted It Ywill be obvious landthereby produce'a spinningof'the ballfaround the 'horizontal axisthereof .simultaneously with the projection of the ball whereby theballrwill `have a greater `degree of lateral movement than .may .bereset in vproper relation with the lbowling alley .bed and with eachvother 'bythe operator :merely pulling outwardly on the nger -knobw63f:to elevate the weight 159.

As v'the weight i59isthus elevated, the plate 52 will descend intoengagement with the springs 53 associated with the knocked down pins andthereby return the pins to their proper upright position upon the plateIl! in one direction or thery of 'the :plunger .3| registers with@ willroe .raised fby the action fofvl `been so vtensioned 49. It will beobvious that all of the pins will be properly positioned irrespective ofany inequality occurring in the length of the cords 41 due to theresiliency of the springs 53.

Furthermore, it will be observed that if the cords associated with thepins become entangled or wrapped around each other as the pins areknocked down by the ball 9, said cords will be readily unwound ordisentangled as they are drawn downwardly by the action of the resetplate 52 due to the fact that as illustrated in Figure 6, thecorresponding pins will be maintained out of co-axial alignment witheach other by the cords attached thereto. That is, the axes of the pinswhen the pins are in substantial alignment with each other will bemaintained spaced apart as the pins are drawn toward each other by thecords a distance not less than the diameter of a cord and inasmuch asthe lower or apex end of the projections is substantially equal to oronly slightly greater in diameter than that of the cord, the free endsof said projections will readily slide past each other as the pinsapproach each other. Then these tapered portions, as they slide alongeach other, form a fulcrum about which the pins easily swing in adirection to unwind or disentangle the operating cords or strings afterwhich the pins may be drawn by the cords to the upright playing positionwith the projection of each pin extending into a corresponding oriiice50 in the plate 49 as illustrated in Figure 5.

Although the construction and operation of the device shown anddescribed, are particularly simple, practical and efficient, it isevident that various changes may be made in the detailed constructionwithout departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in theappended claims.

1. In combination, a perforated bowling alley bed, a set of bowling pinsadapted to be disposed in an upright position upon said bed, means forsetting up said pins comprising a perforated weight member positionedbeneath the alley bed at one end thereof, cords connected with the pinsand extending through the perforations in said alley bed and the weightmember, springs mounted on the cords beneath the weight member adaptedto be engaged by said weight member for yieldingly actuating said cords,a second weight member mounted beneath the alley bed intermediate theends thereof and connected with the first weight member adapted to movesaid rst weight member to and maintain the same in an elevatedinoperative position, and control means including a ringer knobpositioned at the other end of the alley bed operatively connected withthe second weight member by which the same may be manually renderedineffective for maintaining the rst weight member in the inoperativeposition.

2. In a bowling game comprising, in combination, an alley bed havingperforations extending therethrough, a set of bowling pins adapted to beknocked over from an upright position on said alley bed, each of saidbowling pins having a tapered portion associated with the base endthereof in substantially coaxial relation therewith, each of saidtapered portions being adapted to extend into a respective one of saidperforations and having an oriiice arranged substantially coaxialtherewith, a plurality of flexible cords, one cord for each pin, each ofsaid cords being extended outwardly through the orice of the taperedportion of a respective pin and downwardly through a corresponding alleybed perforation to a position some distance beneath said alley bed, andmeans positioned beneath the alley bed engageable with the lower endportions of the cords for substantially simultaneously operating saidcords to return the pins from the knockedover position to the uprightposition on the alley bed, said cords and orifices being ofsubstantially the same diameter and each tapered portion having oppositesides thereof extending from the outer end of the orifice toward thebase of the bowling pin in substantially straight diverging planes toform a relatively sharp point at the outer or lower end of the taperedportion of substantially the same diameter as the cord so that saidouter or lower ends of the tapered portions of two or more pins havingthe cords thereof entangled or wound around each other as the pins areknocked over will readily move past each other and the sides of saidtapered portions subsequently engage each other with a sliding camaction to move the pins into angular relation with each other as thecords are drawn downwardly through the bed apertures and thereby readilyeffect separation of such pins and cords during the resetting of thepins.

3. In combination, a perforated bowling alley bed, a set of bowling pinsadapted to be disposed in an upright position on said bed, means forSetting up said pins comprising a perfo-rated weight member positionedbeneath the alley bed at one end thereof, flexible cords connected withthe pins and extending through the perforations in said alley bed andthe Weight member, springs mounted on the cords beneath the weightmember adapted to yieldingly transmit motion from the weight member tothe cords for drawing said cords downwardly through the alley bedapertures, actuating means mounted beneath the alley bed intermediatetheends thereof and operatively connected with the weight member foryieldingly urging the weight member to and maintaining the same in anelevated inoperative position, and control means including a fingerpiecepositioned at the other end of the alley bed operatively connected withthe actuating means by which the same may be manually renderedineffective for maintaining the Weight member in said inoperativeposition.

4. A device as in claim; 3 wherein the lower base end of each pin isprovided with a guide cone adapted to extend into a correspondingaperture of the alley bed, each of said guide cones having acorresponding cord extending outwardly from its lower or apex endsubstantially coaxially therewith, said apex end of each cone being ofsubstantially the same diameter as the cord so that said apex ends ofcones of two or more pins having the cords thereof entangled or woundaround each other as the pins are knocked down will readily move pasteach other and the sides of said cones subsequently engage each otherwith a sliding cam action to move the pins into angular relation witheach other as the cords are drawn downwardly through the alley bedapertures and thereby readily effect separation of such pins and cordsduring the resetting of the pins.

WILLIAM G. HAWLEY;

